Cigarette



Nov. 13, 1934.

w. J. WALKER, JR 1,980,563

CIGARETTE Filed Feb. 24'. 1951 Patented Nov. 13, 1934 CIGARETTE I William J. Walker, Jr., Philadelphia, Pa. Application February 24, 1931, Serial No. 517,890

8 Claims.

' desirable materials from the smoke.

A further purpose is to pass the smoke of a cigarette to openings in a nicotine removing material, which openings have large perimeters as compared with their cross-sectional areas.

A further purpose is to stretch and separate the fibers at the edges of the openings to form of them filter edges of progressively changing density and filter effectiveness.

A further purpose is to break out the paper of the openings, asdistinguishe'cl from sharply cutting it, and to roughen the edges to separate the'stream flow through the openings by reason of the direction of the paper at the edges and the roughening of the edges.

A further purpose is to provide a balanced paper filter material to remove the nicotine and. facilitate the application of the paper filter to the cigarette.

I have preferred to illustrate my invention by one form only, with slight modifications, selecting a form which is practical, effective and inexpensive and which at the same time well illustrates the principles of my invention. a

Figure 1 is a top plan view and Figure 2 is a side elevation of my preferred-form of tip, prior to application to a cigarette.

Figures 3, 4, 5 and 6 are perspective views showing successive steps in the application of my invention. I

Figure 7 is alongitudinal section to enlarged scale showing my invention applied to a cigrette.

Figure 8 is "a top plan view of a slight modification in which the tip is formed as part of the cigarette wrapper.

Figure 9 is a perspective view of the wrapper shown in Figure 8, after rolling into a cigarette.

Figures 10 and 12 are enlarged fragmentary elevations of filters embodying modifications of my invention.

Figure 11 is a section of Figure 10 upon the line 11-11.

' Figure 13 is a section of Figure 12 upon the line 13-13.

Figure 14 is a perspective view of the structure seen in Figure 10.

Ir? the drawing similar numerals indicate like pa s.

. In the smoking of cigarettes nicotine and other 6 alkaloids pass to the smoker along with the smoke and it is my purpose to screen out a considerable proportion of this nicotine or similarmaterial as it passes out of the end of the cigarette. Also the smoke carries a certain quantity of tarry distillates and of suspended solid particles, which, if not previously removed, will deposit in the throat or lungs of the smoker.

It has already been proposed to pass the smoke through circular or rectangular apertures which to a slight extent have the effect of slowing up the stream of smoke and of cooling the smoke sufliciently to deposit nicotine or other harmful materials. I find, however, that such apertures are but slightly effective because the body of the 7 stream is large as compared with the perimeter and only a small part of the stream passing through has any contact with the edges.

My invention involves increasing the ratio of perimeter to cross section of such openings in order that substantially all of the stream may come in contact with the edges and further increasing the condensing and filtering effectiveness of the edges. This may be done by forming the apertures with edges converging toward the 3 direction from which the stream is coming. The stretching and separation of the fibers at the edge greatly increase the area of condensing and separating surface. Both of these greatly in-v crease the effectiveness of the openings not only because they divide the flow into a larger number of separate streams, but because each of these streams passes all of the smoke very close to, if not against, the edges of the openings, so that whirling of the smoke as it passes through due to the ragged edges presented toward the'stream causes additional'cooling of the smoke and consequent condensation of volatile material, as well as better filtration of suspended matter.

What the hairs of the nostril doin straining and cleansing the human breath the ragged edges of my restricted openings do in rendering safe the smokers cigarette.

The openings are preferably provided in a sheet of rice or similar paper extending transversely across the tip end of the cigarette, either at the extreme end of, the cigarette or at the extreme end of the tobacco where a special tip is applied. The opening of a slit of course, may be curved, straight, or of any other shape, and

ration.

should have a high ratio of perimeter to cross section.

In the figures shown, the invention is applied by means of a paper filter 15 which is placed with its central portion 16 directly across the endof the cigarette nearest to the mouth of the smoker.

This end paper filter section is applied in the. illustration by flap attachment through flaps 17,

18, 19 and 20.

The apertures formed are slits as shown at 21, whose edges 22 are turned toward the cigarette so as to tend to impede the passage of the gether adjacent the uncut body of the paper and thinner and more widely separated as they reach out toward the center of the opening, being thus progressively smaller body or wider fiber sepa- In Figures 1 to 6 I have shown one way of applying my transverse paper. filter as a separate sheet forming a cap over the end of the cigarette. The sheet is held across the endby the flaps or tabs 17 to 20 which are separated from each other along the lines 23, 24, 25 and 26 and are separated from the filter face proper by cutting out the portions 27 to provide for separate application of the individual holding flaps.

In Figure 3 the filterhas been applied to the end of the cigarette, but the fiaps have not been folded. In Figure 4 the fiaps 17 and 18 have been turned down and have been applied about the surface of the cigarette by any suitable spreading clamp means.

In Figure 5 one flap such as 20 has been folded about the cigarette and in Figure 6 the other flap 19 has been applied, theproportions being preferably such that the edges of the fiapsshall so I abut. This application of the transverse paper filter is thus made effective to produce a pleasmg cap appearance. l

In the smoking of a cigarette the burning of the lighted tobacco causes hot products of combustion to traverse the length of the cigarette. The hot productsof combustion vaporize volatile materials, including alkaloids such as nicotine and tarry materials, and :carry them with the products of combustion through the length of the cigarette to the mouth. Furthermore, dust is picked up by the gases-j and carried in sus-- pension.

Cooling of the products of combustion before they enter the mouth is of itself an advantageous feature of my invention since inhalation of hot gases is injurious. Furthermore, cooling assists in condensing volatile materials. By contact with the slit walls and by slowing down the gas flow, I aid in cooling the gases.

Even after alkaloids and other volatile materials condense into globules in the smoke, they may remain suspended unless the smoke is filter ed. I therefore provide frayed fiber edges 22' 'of the slits in my preferred form, to serve as filters. Because these edges in my preferred form protrude inwardly that'is toward the lighted end of a cigarette I have viewed them as petticoated. Besides removing globules of condensed vapor, the edges 22' will filter out suspended dust.

It is to be noted that the protection provided by the paper filter at the end against thetobacco from the cigarette coming into the mouth of the user-adds considerable value to .my method of attachment and to location of the paper filter at 7 the mouth end of the cigarette.

In the form shown in Figures 8 and 9 it is intended that the fastening device and paper filter shall form parts of the rice paper cigarette cover 28 and that the flaps 29, 30 and 31. shall be applied before the cigarette is fully wrapped, so that the flaps will not show on the outside of the cigarette, giving a smooth surface on the outside as seen in Figure'9. I

Though there is an advantage, as already pointed out, in having the openings in the filter of general slit shape so as to give a much larger proportion of perimeter of cross section than would be found in an opening of relatively larger width as compared to its length, including round and square openings, the increase in the absorbent character of the edge of the opening which forms part of my invention would be applicable with round openings 21', for example, as shown in Figures 10, '11 and 12, and with square openings 21 as seen in Figures. 13' and 14, since the separation of the fibers of the paper at the edge, caused by pushing the opening inwardly as distinguished fromcutting it or forming it without any such attenuated edges, is present and is beneficial with these round and square openings or with openings of any other shape where the paper has been torn or stretched inwardly during formation of the openings.

Where the paper used is soft paper the inwardly directed edges will yield slightly toward the plane of the paper filter when they come against the tobacco at the end of the cigarette and .will not press back into position closing the opening, as would perhaps be the case with a relatively stiff paper if it were pressed against the tobacco.

The filtering inwardly directed edges perform not only the filtering functions indicated, but reduce the tendency for fibers of tobacco to come into the mouth of the user from the end of the cigarette.

It will be evident that the increased percentage of perimeter as compared with cross section of the openings and the loosening of the paper at the edges by stretching the paper to produce. the holes, instead of cutting the paper sharply, are capable of use together to secure enhanced results due to their combined functions, but are also capable of independent use to secure advantage from either. v

It will be evident that the showing of the blanks as punched before application of the paper filter to the cigarettes is not intended to indicate that this must be the order of procedure, as the openings could be punched after the paper filter has been applied to the cigarette. Many kinds of paper are suitable including rice, wax and cork or/and straw or other imitations as well as cork or other material having the desired filtering or straining quality.

It will be evident that the character of material used for applying my invention may be varied to advantage according-to the way in which the function is to be performed. Where advantage is sought to be taken of the large perimeter as compared with the cross section of the opening forcontact of an enlarged proportion of the smoke and vapor with the edges of the material absorbent qualities may largely be disregarded and less attention, or no attention, need be paid to loosening or roughening of the edges'of the Op such as. would take place where the material at the edges is stretched or loosened or relatively fiufied during tearing. Where absorption is sought the material used should be chosen not only from the standpoint of its inherent absorbing capacity as manufactured though this is an advantage and may be the controlling factor-but also from the standpoint of the way in which its fibers stretch or otherwise separate when the openings, are cut or torn.

Though the petticoating of the openings toward the stream of smoke and vapor is of advantage in giving contact with a larger part of the material than would be engaged where the openings are made by cutting material out, it is not essential to the invention.

It will be evident that some materials which in the sheet are not absorbent will be rendered so by the stretching and separating due to the bowing from a out which is not sharp, that materials which are absorbent will be made more so when frayed in this manner and that both of these classes of materials as well as material which is not absorbent when frayed and spread will present larger surfaces for conversion and screening purposes not only reducing the cross section of the openings available by increasing the number of paths for the smoke flow and diverting the fiow in such a way to cause it to deposit matter which would otherwise pass through.

It will be evident that my use of the material of the screen itself to all purposes avoids the necessity for the use of filter pads and screens such as are disclosed in many patents in this art.

It will be further evident that the artificial enlargement of the area of contact surface if compared with the total cross section of smoke flow represents a considerable advance over openings of regular cross sections only which are mere mechanical screens without other or further function. I

In view of my invention and disclosure variations and modifications to meet individual whim or particular need will doubtless become evident to others skilled in the art, to obtain all or part of the benefits of my invention without copying the structure shown, and I, therefore, claim all such in so far as they fall within the reasonable spirit and scope of my invention.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patentis:

1. A paper filtering device for cigarettes comprising a sheet of paper extending transversely of the cigarette in the line of travel of the smoke, having an opening with torn and stretched paper fibers exposed at the edges and means for holding thepaper filter material in position.

2. In a filtering device for cigarettes, a sheet of soft paper held transversely with respect to the cigarette in the line of travel of the cigarette smoke and having an opening, the walls of which are stretched laterally of the opening and in a direction generally toward the lighted end of the cigarette, whereby numerous minute ragged edges are exposed by the separated fibers of the paper.

3. In a filter device for cigarettes, a sheet of paper held in the line of smoke travel having an opening and separated paper fibers extending into the line of smoke travel from the sides of the opening.

4. In a filter device for cigarettes, a sheet of paper held in the line of smoke travel having an opening and separated paper fibers extending into the line of smoke travel from the sides of the opening and having a fiber density progressively increasing from the inner ends of the fibers.

5. In a filter device for cigarettes; a sheet material held in the line of smoke travel having a ragged edge opening petticoated toward the direction of smoke travel.

6. In a filter device for cigarettes, filtering material in sheet form having openings with torn and stretched paper fibers exposed at the edges.

7. In a filter device for cigarettes, a soft fibrous material having openings and having the fibers about the edges of the openings relatively stretched or separated as compared with the body of the material.

8. In a filter device for cigarettes a sheet of firm material having slitted openings bulged toward the lighted end of the cigarette.

WILLIAM J. WALKER, JR. 

